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Archive for July, 2008

Preliminary details of the 2008 Kerry Youth Tour were announced in Killorglin on Today. The race, which is the largest of its kind in Ireland or Great Britain, is now in its tenth year and continues to grow. The Kerry Youth Tour is a major item in the calendar for all Irish and British youth riders. It is also a major money-spinner for the Mid-Kerry area generating as it does approx 2500 bed nights and the consequent spending in the area.

David McQuaid has taken over the running of the Irish based Pezula Racing cycling team. McQuaid moved in to secure the future of the team, currently on race duty in the Tour of Quinghai Lake, after the withdrawal of funding by team owner Declan O’Loughlin. McQuaid runs DMC Sports Ireland, distributing bikes and components to the cycle trade in Ireland and the former Irish international rider has raced and roomed with Pezula’s David O’Loughlin in the past.

“The economic climate in the construction industry has meant Declan can not afford to fund the team any further this year,” said McQuaid: “However I am delighted to say that nothing will change in the team. We have some super technical sponsors in Terry Dolan and Santini and we have had other offers of support.”Continue Reading »

Tinkoff Credit Systems (Russia),MTN Energade (South Africa) and Team Type 1 (USA) are the latest of the teams to be announced for the Tour of Ireland professional cycle race sponsored by Fáilte Ireland which starts at Grand Canal Square in Dublin’s Docklands on 27th August.

Tinkoff Credit Systems are sending a balanced team of experienced professionals and young talent and are intent on challenging for overall victory in the five day race. Italian Alberto Loddo heads to Ireland with stage victories in the Tours of Qatar, Langkawi and Settimana Ciclista Lombardia under his belt this year. Columbian Walter Pedraza has been very successful on the South American continent before moving onto the European circuit this year. Pedraza made it onto the podium in Columbia, Chile and Venezuela last year and has shown his wide ranging physical abilities by winning the prologue of the Classica Independencia Ciudad de Flandes and finishing second on the mountainous Genting Highlands stage of the Tour of Langkawi. Sergey Klimov is a vastly experienced track and road professional. He is a former junior track cycling world champion and multiple Track World Cup medalist. He rode with the team in the Giro d’Italia this year and took the bronze medal in the Russian national road race championships. The professional continental team has big plans for next year and will want to continue their successful run this season that includes two stage victories in the Giro d’Italia.

The world’s leading compression garment to help Aussie Cyclists recover faster

Recovery is a key component of performance for Australia’s cyclists who are set to benefit from the latest technology with the announcement today of Skins™ as Cycling Australia’s Official Supplier of Compression and Recovery Garments.

The partnership will involve Skins™ supplying its state-of-the-art compression and recovery garments to athletes and staff involved in all of Cycling Australia’s high performance programs: Track, Road, Mountain Bike, BMX and Paracycling.

“Skins™ garments assist Australia’s elite cyclists to recover faster after training and competing,” said Skins™ General Manager Warren Hodge. “The team will also benefit when they fly wearing the Skins™ Travel & Recovery product which has been proven to reduce leg swelling associated with flying and also reduce the effects of jet lag.

“Unlike other compression garments, Skins™ have always and continue to invest heavily in research and development – which is why elite sportspeople and teams alike continue to choose Skins™ as their preferred compression garment. Whilst many other companies are trying to recreate what Skins™ have, there remains only one compression garment that professional and casual athletes trust time and time again.

“Skins™ are delighted to be joining forces with Cycling Australia to help the team optimise their preparation for major events,” said Mr Hodge.

Graham Fredericks, Chief Executive Officer of Cycling Australia said many of Australia’s top cyclists already used Skins™’ products and were thrilled to have them on board as an official supplier.

“Skins™’ support will provide extra pedalling power for our elite athletes and we value greatly any product which may give us an edge over the rest of the world,” he said.Continue Reading »

Martin became the Irish national champion in June just a week after winning the Route du Sud stage race in France and will ride the five-day Tour of Ireland (August 27-31) wearing the green national champions jersey.

Millar will ride both the Tour of Ireland and eight-day Tour of Britain (September 7-14) as he builds up to the world time trial championships in Varese, Italy, while Backstedt will be hoping to have recovered from the lactic acid problem that forced him out of the Tour de France.

Also scheduled to be in the Garmin team are Kiwi sprinter Julian Dean, Frenchman Christophe Laurent and Dutchman Martijn Maaskant who impressed in this year’s Paris-Roubaix. Dean finished second overall in the 2004 Tour of Britain. Continue Reading »

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland announced today its decision regarding ex-Tour de France winner Floyd Landis vs. US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The court ruled against Landis, ending his fight to clear his name and regain his Tour victory. Landis will have to serve the full two-year suspension that is back-dated to January 30, 2007 as that is when he officially declared voluntary non-competition status. Additionally, Landis was ordered to pay $100,000 in costs to the USADA.

In a statement released by the CAS, it found that: “1. The LNDD is a WADA-accredited laboratory which benefits from the presumption that it conducted sample analysis in accordance with international laboratory standards. 2. The athlete has not rebutted this presumption by showing that a departure from the International Standard occurred.” Continue Reading »